Vehicles, including but not limited to recreational vehicles (“RVs” in the United States and “Caravans” in Europe), tractor trailers, airplanes, boats, trains, and the like, often incorporate refrigerators for the comfort and convenience of the occupants. These refrigerators are usually absorption-type refrigerators.
An absorption refrigerator includes a heat generator for heating a solution of refrigerant and an absorbent. Heat releases the refrigerant from the absorbent to form a high pressure refrigerant vapor. The refrigerant vapor is condensed in a cooling condenser. Low pressure solution from the heat generator is sprayed on the refrigerant vapor in an absorber to absorb the vapor. The absorption causes the pressure of the vapor to be reduced. Evaporation occurs in an evaporator between the condenser and the absorber. The refrigerant vapor expands in the evaporator which causes a temperature drop in the refrigerant. This temperature drop is used to provide cooling to the refrigerator. The solution of refrigerant and absorbent is then pumped back to the heat generator.
Airflow over the condenser and absorber is conventionally used for cooling of these elements. To create this airflow, which is also used to supply air for the combustion at the burner, a first duct or vent is provided through the vehicle wall for air intake. An exhaust is provided through a second duct or vent in the vehicle wall. One such arrangement is shown in commonly assigned U.S. Ser. No. 60/331,083. U.S. Ser. No. 60/331,083 is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
Vehicle refrigerators such as those described above conventionally vent the combustion exhaust gases by one of two methods. In the first method, an exhaust tube assembly (consisting of one or more components) which is affixed to the refrigerator's cooling unit flue tube is used to couple the combustion exhaust gases directly out through the vehicle sidewall to the outside. In some installations this is accomplished through a hole through the vehicle sidewall; in other installations this is accomplished by attaching the exhaust tube assembly to a specially designed upper vent assembly. In the second method, the refrigerator's cooling unit flue tube vents the combustion exhaust gases unrestricted into the ventilation space and the gases exit the vehicle through the upper vent along with the ventilation air provided for the absorber and condenser.
While both conventional methods for ventilation of the combustion exhaust gases have been proven to be acceptable for their intended uses, both are associated with limitations. In the first method, proper positioning of the exhaust tube assembly relative to the vent openings is time consuming. In one known arrangement, the flue tube is coupled directly to a portion of a vent and the flue tube exhaust is discharged directly out of the vehicle. In this type of arrangement, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) must cut the final portion of the flue tube to length in order to accommodate variations in both height and distance from the vehicle wall. The OEM must also couple the flue tube to the vent. Extending the flue tube through an independent hole in the wall is even further time consuming. In the second method, the relatively hot combustion exhaust gases mix with the ventilation air. The resultant mixture is warmer and therefore less efficient for cooling the absorber and condenser of the refrigerator's cooling unit.
Accordingly, it remains a need in the pertinent art to provide a venting arrangement for a vehicle refrigerator that overcomes the limitations associated with the prior known arrangements, including but not limited to those disadvantages discussed above.